284 



SOUTH-WEST PLOItlDA. 



As an evidence of the tropical character of the 

 climate at this point I need but refer to the fact that 

 the wanderer will find eleven cocoanut trees growing 

 on the margin of the river and producing fruit. We 

 see no reason why tropical fruits and plants should not 

 be profitably cultivated on the banks of the Caloosahat- 

 chie. If we were young and disposed to make ourselves 

 a home in a new country, we would without hesitation 

 locate on the banks of this stream. The winters are 

 pleasant, and the summers not uncomfortably warm. 

 Northern people entertain the opinion that &quot; the range 

 of the thermometer in southern Florida must be much 

 higher than in the North ! &quot; but this is a mistake. To 

 illustrate this position I select at random a few statistics 

 from Blodgett s excellent and reliable work on Climatol 

 ogy ; and for the purpose of comparison again refer to 

 observations at Punta Eassa for the year 1874 thereby 

 illustrating the highest and lowest thermometric range : 



LOWEST TUERMOMETRIC RANGE. 



